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PATE NTED JAN28 1868 TO ALL WI-IOM IT MAY (iONCERN:

geirrt grafts etn @fitta .'IIIOMAS J. PHILLIPS, `0F WA'SHINGTGN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Letters Patent No. 73,923, dated January 28, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOOLS POR OPENINGBARRELS.

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Be it known that I, THOMAS J. PHILLIPS, of 'Wnshingtom in the county of `'vll'aslingtem and District of Columbia, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Implements for Removing Hoops from Barrels, dtc.;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whieh- Figure l represents my invention as applied to the hoops of a barrel for the purpose of removing the same. Figure 2 shows thel manner of attaching my invention to the handle of an ordinary hatchet, or other similar tool.

those engaged in handling barrels, where the same have to be opened, the fruit, or other articles contained therein, repacked, and the barrel again reheaded, and these operations, perhaps, repeated many times, that there is-oi`t-en great inconvenience, loss of time, and labor, in consequence ofthe destruction ofthe hoops by the tools ordinarily employed in removing them. In driving them oi` with the common hatchot, as'they'are always nailed to the staves, it is next to impossible to avoid splitting and breaking them, without great lossoi` time and labor, and thus the barrel is rendered nearly useless for the purposes desired. My device is intended to obviate this, to a great extent, and at the same time eiiect a saving of time and labor, as it does not destroy and very rarely injures the hoop in removing it.

In order that others mayunderstand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to particularly describe it. i i v I A, iig. 1, is the head, and B the handle, both made of malleable iron. The head, A, together with 'the hammer C, is cast in one piece, land has at one end a hole drilled in, with a screw-thread cut upon the inner surfaceto receive and retain the handle B. At theother end, which is rounded ofi', is a vertical slot, cut to receive the shank oi' the hook D, which shoiild beiv forged of steel, where it is retained by the pin t passing through both, on which it is free to turn up and dowm On thel top of this h'ook (is a hole or notch, g, to receive the peint of the catch 6 in the end of the springe, when it is desired to use the whole as a hammer, it being retained in a. line -with the handle, as lshown at iig. 2. The handle B may be provided with a claw, t, for drawing nails, and, when desired, may be removed from the head A, and the handle of an ordinary hatchet substituted 4in its place, as shownin tig. 2. VThe operation of the whole, in removing hoops from a barrel; is plainlyshown at g. I, where E represents the head of a barrel, F the stave, audiec the hoops enclosing the same. Placing the point of the hoolg D under the edge of the hoop, at any point where the same is nailed, allowing the hammer- (head, C to bear upon the head E as afulcrnm, and pressing down on the handle B,the hoop is easily forced from i its position without injury to the same, o1? the staves of the barrel. As only the top hoop is nailed the others may be readily removed inthe ordinary manner.

The head A is preferably made separate, as shown, so that it may De attached to any hind o'r' handle desired. Itis obvious that the precise form and material herein described are not necessary to the successful operation of this invention. l

My invention consists in an improved form of tool ,to be used in unheading barrels. It is well known to i' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is f As a new implement for removing hoops from barrels, Ste., the herein-described head A, provided with the hammer C, or its equivalent, a suitable handle, and the hook D, all constructed and operating substantially as described.

'II-IOS. J. PHILLIPS. Witnesses:

D. B. VENTRE, It. D. O. SMITH. 

